Wellness is promoted in our schools through the provision of health services with our partners the Health Care District of Palm Beach County (HCD) and the Palm Beach County Health Department (PBCHD). All partners play an integral role in the delivery of basic health care to our students on a daily basis. School Nurses and Health Technicians delivered the following health services to the students in Palm Beach County for the 2011-2012 school year. These nursing interventions allowed 80% of the students receiving care to return to the classroom.

The School District is fortunate to have a School Nurse in every regular school including nursing service support for the alternative and charter schools. The primary goal of this program is to advance the well-being, academic success, and life-long achievement of all students.

Student Return to Class Rates:

Comprehensive vision and hearing screenings are a collaborative effort between the School District and our health partners, HCD and PBCHD. These screenings are offered within the school setting and case management and follow up are provided by our school nurses. In the 2011-2012 school year, the PBCHD contracted with the “Florida Heiken Children’s Vision Program” and provided in-school free eye examinations and eyeglasses to 972 students.

School nurses provide an invaluable service to students through the Growth and Development and Scoliosis screenings. Height and weight and postural measurements are obtained annually in specified grades to identify those students with emerging health conditions that require referral to primary health care providers for further evaluation.

The Comprehensive School Health Program, provided by special state funding, allows the PBCHD to staff each of three designated schools with a School Nurse and Health Support Specialist. The scope of the services available depends on the needs of the local community. Target population is low-income high-risk students. The Comprehensive Schools are: Atlantic Community High, Glades Central Community High, and Carver Community Middle School.

The goals of the program are to reduce risk taking behaviors that lead to teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, prevent abuse of substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, and promote access to counseling and health services.

The students received the following services:

• default_titleMedications, treatments, health screenings
• default_titleCase management of students with chronic or high risk health conditions
• default_titleIndividual counseling for student health concerns
• default_titleHealth promotion and educational classes and activities focusing on risk-taking behaviors
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RAMS Health Clinic is the only School Based Health Clinic in Palm Beach County. RAMS is located in Palm Beach Lakes Community High School, and is a satellite clinic of the Palm Beach County Health Department.

School Based Health Clinics promote the health and educational success of students, while building collaborative and mutually respectful relationships with school staff and community agencies. Their services involve students as responsible partners in their care, encourage the role of parent/guardian, and are easily accessible.

RAMS clinical services are provided by an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP), Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and staff assistant to provide high quality comprehensive physical and mental health services for students who otherwise would have no or limited access to healthcare.

RAMS Health Clinic provided the following types of services to students:

• default_titleDiagnosis and treatment of acute illness and injury
• default_titleWell-child exams
• default_titleManagement of chronic health conditions
• default_titleBasic laboratory services
• default_titleMedication prescription services
• default_titleMental health services and interventional counseling
• default_titleEmergency dental care referral
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Volunteers recruited and coordinated by the PBCHD assist elementary school children to maintain good dental health through a weekly Fluoride Mouth Rinse Program in schools located in non-fluoridated areas. Children in non-fluoridated areas are at an increased risk for dental decay and fluoride containing topical rinses help reduce this risk.

The Dental Sealant Project, funded by the Marjorie S. Fisher Fund, has provided dental screenings for over 21,000 children and placed over 55,000 sealants on second grade students since 1997. In the 2011-2012 school year, dental staff from the Palm Beach County Health Department provided this program in 28 Title 1 schools (see table below), examining 1,994 children and placing over 5,800 sealants. This program utilizes a state of the art two dental chair mobile clinic on wheels called the “Tooth Fairy”. Twenty-eight schools will be served in the 2012-2013 school year. The team collaborates with school nurses to refer sealant program participating children needing urgent dental care. Eighty children were referred to local health department clinics because of acute dental needs.

• default_titleDuring the 2011-2012 school year, data showed that 48% of students needed dental care and 14% had severe needs. On baby teeth, 39% of kids had evidence of dental decay and 41% of children had untreated decay – this was far above the national averages.
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The Palm Beach County Health Department - Dental Division’s “Coordinated Oral Health Access Referral Program” (COHARP) is a case management and referral program to help school children with acute dental needs. These children are referred from either the Dental Sealant Program, RAMS Health Clinic at Palm Beach Lakes High School, or from the school nurses in Palm Beach County schools. Children identified with immediate dental needs will have the ability to be seen for urgent care in one of the Palm Beach County Health Department clinics or contracted providers.

• default_titleCOHARP made arrangements for 152 uninsured children to receive urgently needed dental care and follow-up was provided with parents to aid them in the Florida KidCare application process.
• default_titleThe Save-A-Molar program, begun last school year, provided root canal therapy services this 2011-2012 school year to 24 children in need from private Endodontists at no cost.
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Outstanding prevention programs are offered in collaboration with community health partners to provide outstanding programs to address and prevent health issues within schools. In the 2011-2012 school year we welcomed the following partners and their programs in the schools:

• default_titleOpen Airways for Schools – This program, provided by the American Lung Association, focuses on self management skills to better handle one’s asthma through recognition of asthma triggers and symptoms, proper use of medication, and the development of an asthma action plan. 363 students at 24 elementary schools received the program during October 2011 – November 2011.
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• default_titleCommunicable Disease Control – The Palm Beach County Health Department’s Community & School Health Division provided immunization and other epidemiology expertise through annual student health record review, training and education.
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The Student Intervention Services (SIS) Department provides AED Site Coordinator training to school designees. AED Site Coordinator online training allows immediate guidance on the maintenance and operation of AEDs within the schools/departments. During the 2011-2012 school year, 62 additional staff members were trained.

The Student Intervention Services (SIS) Department provides online education and health information as an adjunct to student specific health services training provided by school nurses within all schools. During the 2011-2012 school year, 112 staff members were trained.